Mold



A ril 8, 1930.-

S. FLAM.

MOLD

Filed Sept. '7. 1

R O T N E V m Patented Apr. 8, 1930 UNITED STATES STEPHEN FLAM, F TECUMSEH, MICHIGAN MOLD Application filed September 7, 1927. Serial No. 217,913.

The problem of finding suitable building materials is one which has always been present in civilized communities. The great ad vantages of stone because of its strength and its resistance to the destructive agencies such as weather and organic growths have made it always the outstanding favorite. Only the relatively high cost of natural stone and the difliculty in many localities of finding suitable stones has limited its application. This recognition of stone as the premiere building material would normally furnish a ready market for manufactured stone such as concrete blocks; but the production and sale of low quality concrete blocks has, in many 10- calities, caused the public to look upon con crete blocks generally with disfavor and consider them as inferior substitutes.

Many attempts have been made to reduce the costs of manufacturing cement blocks without the sacrifice of quality, but experimenters have found themselves confronted with many obstacles, for the employment of unskilled labor to reduce labor costs necessitated the use of expensive equipment and,

in many instances, the tying up of such equipment for long periods.

Multiple molds have been proposed to save labor and space, since they can be handled throughoutthe molding operations as units.

However, if the multiple molds are permanently assembled, the blocks are difficult to remove and must be left in the molds until they are set sufiiciently to stand rough treatment. In some instances, as previously suggested, these multiple molds have been made of a number of sections, so that the blocks could be removed immediately after the ini tial set, while the concrete is still more or less fragile. In the use of such constructions, it

has been found that excessive labor was required to assemble and remove the sections, and, in fact, many of the sections were damaged or lost While the equipment was in such disassembled condition.

Attempts have been made to overcome the objections encountered with the equipment described, but so far as the applicant is aware r he is the first to provide a multiple mold in which all of the elements are secured together,

and yet one in which each element except the supporting base may be removed from contact with the molded product without injury to the still fragile material.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the molding equipment heretofore used, and the invention contemplates the provision of apparatus for molding blocks of high quality with a minimum expenditure for labor and equipment. Another object of this invention is the provision of such an apparatus which will be suitable for use either with dry tamped or wet mix material. A further object is to proride a mold in which all of the elements thereof can be readily moved to and secured in operative position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a mold made in accordance with the present invention, having one of its side walls swung out- 5 wardly to show the inner side thereof;

.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the apparatus with its sides swung outwardy;

Fig. 4: is an end elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is an arcuate shaped block of a type which may be produced by the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now specifically to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a base plate of a mold, which is secured to and carried by a frame 2. This frame 2 is preferably composed of longitudinal reinforcing members 3 directly secured to the base plate 1 adjacent its edges, and transverse tie members 4 secured to the members 3. By this construction the edges of the base plate are held against spreading and the desired curve or arch is maintained. \Vith the reinforcement afforded by frame 2, a relatively light sheet metal will suffice for the base plate with resulting economy. Another important feature resulting from the a vertical position, but the ears 5 fit into the employment of such a base plate, is that the thin metal ofi'ers practicall no transverse support to the ears 5 (Fig. 3 so that tilting of the partition plates 6, to be hereinafter more fully described, is permitted. Furthermore, when a thin sheet metal is used for the base plate 1, the edges thereof may be cut and bent to form hinges 7, whereas such construction would be impractical if heavy plate metal were employed.

Arranged at spaced intervals along the base plate 1 are transverse slots 8, through which the ears 5 of the vertical partition plates 6 are passed for maintaining the partition plates in position thereon. The plates 6 are locked in place by means of the wires 9 which pass through openings in the ears 5. The partition plates 6 are normally maintained in transverse slots with suflicient looseness to permit of the plates being tilted slightly from side to side, which freedom of motion, together with a slight flexing, of the plates enables the plates to be moved to a position where the molded products can be readily withdrawn.

The side plates 10 are hinged to the base plate 1 as at 7 and are adapted to be raised against the partition plates 6 to form closed molding spaces, or to be dropped down as shown in Fig. 3 to permit drying or removal of the molded blocks. Suitable fastening means such as the hooks 11 are provided to hold the side plates closed against the side edges of the partition plates. The hooks 11 engage in openings at the corresponding ends of the o posite side wall, the openings being arrange adjacent the upper edge of said wall.

In the preferred form of the invention, as illustrated, the side plates are provided with semi-cylindrical protuberances 12 to form recesses in the ends of the molded blocks. These protuberances are preferably formed in lengths corresponding to the distance between the partition plates, and are mounted on the side plates so as to leave gaps or grooves 13 corresponding to the thickness of said partition plates. If it is desired to mold an article without end depressions, the protuberances may be eliminated, in which case the side walls 10 should be slotted and the partition plates formed of a dimension to extend into the slots when the elements are in operative position.

In using the mold the side plates 10 are brought up to closed position where the partition plates 6 are engaged in the grooves 13, and are thereby rigidly secured in vertical position. This operation of placing the elements in operative position may be performed in a few seconds by one man, as contrasted with the tedious operation of fitting together detachable plates and partitions as has been heretofore necessary.

ucts can be withdrawn. Ordinarily it will be preferable to move the mold from place to place during operations, and the frame 2 will serve to withstand any ordinary shocks to which the mold is subjected, without permitting distortion to an extent where the shape of the mold is altered.

When the plastic material has set sufliciently to permit of handling and the mold is in the position desired for removing the prodacts, the locking means 11 is released and the slde plates 10 swung outwardly. The partition plates 6 being released from the grooves 13, may now be slightly tilted or flexed one at a time as the products are removed. The end fplate 6 is first tilted or flexed away from the rst product, and that product now being freed from the sides, and ends of the mold may be readily removed without injury. The next plate 6 may then be tilted or flexed and its adjacent product removed in the same manner. whereupon this procedure may be continued until all of the products are withdrawn from the mold. The mold may then be cleaned and oiled and closed to be filled again.

l/Vhen a wet mix concrete is used it may be desirable to drop the side plates 10 as soon as the material has become self-sustaining and before it has set enough to permit removal. so

that any excess water will be more readilyv evaporated. The present construction enables a considerable saving of time and labor, which accordingl results in a substantial saving in costs 0 molding products of the nature described.

The mold of the present invention is adapted to be used with the apparatus and in a process as described in my copending application Serial No. 10,265, filed Feb. 19, 1925. When the mold is so used, the frame 2 thereof will rest upon a truck, whereupon the mold is carried to a station at which it is filled with a wet mix concrete. The mold is then transported to a drying ln'ln or yard where it is placed on a rack, and the sides 10 swung outwardly to permit contact with the air or drying gas, if a particular gas is employed, for quickly drying the molded products at least to such a degree that the mold can be released for further operations. It is to be understood that when desired the concrete in the mold may be jogged or tamped, or trowelled, before it is permitted to set.

While the above description has been directed to the preferred form of the invention it will be understood that many changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A mold for use in the formation of plastic material comprising a curved base plate provided with longitudinally spaced series of transverse slots, a frame upon which the base plate is secured, partition members mounted on said base plate by means of ears projecting through the slots, the fit of the ears in said slots being sufficiently loose to permit the partitions being slightly tilted to one side or the other, means for securing the ears against removel from the slots, and side plates hingedly connected to the base plate, said side plates being provided with grooves adapted to receive the edges of the partition members and to hold them in rigid vertical position.

2. A multiple mold for use in the formation of products from plastic material comprising a base plate, vertical partition plates mounted thereon and tiltable from side to side with respect to said base plate, and side plates adapted when in operative position to hold the partition plates rigidly in vertical position. 1

3. A multiple mold for use in the formation of products from plastic material comprising a base plate, side plates, partition plates, means for holdingeach of said side plates in assembled relation with respect to said base plate, means for holding each of the partition plates in assembled position with respect to said base plate while permitting said partition plates to be tilted slightly with respect to said base plate, the means for holding each side plate in assembled relation to the base plate permitting angular displacement of each side plate from the side of a molded product, and protuberances mounted in spaced relation on the side plates to form recesses in the products, the spaces between said protuberances being adapted to receive the edges of the partition plates and to hold them rigidly in position during the molding operation.

4. A mold for use in the formation of products from plastic material comprising a base plate provided with longitudinally spaced series of transverse slots, partition plates each having at least one ear for loosely fitting into one of said slots, the connection between the base plate and the partition plates permitting tilting of the partition plates while normally maintaining the partition plates in vertical position, means for holding said ears loosely positioned in said slots, and means for maintaining said partition plates in operative position during the molding operation.

5. A mold for use in the formation of products from plastic material comprising a base plate provided with longitudinally spaced slots, partition plates having projections adapted to fit loosely into said slots, said par- 7. A mold for use in the formation of arcuate blocks comprising an arched sheet metal base plate. rigid reinforcing means secured thereto adjacent each edge, transverse tie members securing the reinforcing members against separation and thereby maintaining the arch in the base plate, slots in said base plate adjacent the edges thereof and partition plates having projections loosely secured in said slots.

8. A multiple mold for use in the formation of products from plastic material including a base plate, side plates, partition plates, and means for so anchoring the partition plates in the base plate as to permit tilting of the partition plates with respect to the base plate while preventing their removal from the base plate.

9. A multiple mold for use in the formation of molded blocks from plastic material comprising a base plate, partition plates flexibly mounted on the base plate, and side plates adapted when in operative position to hold the partition plates rigidly in position, sa d side plates being adapted to be angularlv displaced from a molded product independently of the partition plates.

10. A multiple mold for use in the formation of products from plastic material including a base plate, side plates, partition plates, and a plurality of means for holding sald partition plates, one of said means holding the partition plates in assembled relation and against .removal from the base plate whlle permitting said partition plates to be tilted slightly with respect to said base plate, and another of said holding means causing the partition plates to be held immovable with respect to the base plate during the molding operation.

11. A multiple mold, including a base plate, partition plates flexibly mounted in said base plate. and readily detachable means for holding said partition plates in fixed relat ion to the base plate and co-opcrating with said partition plates to form mold spaces.

In testimony whereof I atfix my si nature.

STEPHEN F AM. 

